Published in Hammer & Dolly – Thomas Greco Publishing Debate has raged between shops and insurers regarding the necessity of performing OEM procedures – particularly when the vehicle manufacturer identifies a procedure as “recommended,” instead of “required.” But does a mere shift in semantics really make that much of a difference? A Scanning Case Study The trajectory taken by scanning requirements provides strong evidence that makes all the difference. It began when multiple vehicle manufacturers took a stand…and started a movement.  Although OEMs began incorporating advanced technology in their vehicles in the 1990s, few position statements were issued about the need for scanning until 2016 when manufacturers began declaring the necessity of…

Published in New Jersey Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing Meeting any goal begins with setting the goal, establishing steps to achieve it and then monitoring how well those actions help one move toward the objective. Businesses of all types often rely on specific key performance indicators (KPIs) to help them “keep score” and identify needed adjustments. Which KPIs are most important? KPIs can vary widely from industry to industry and even business to business, and while mechanical shops may find it useful to track some of the same KPIs as collision centers, dealerships and other companies, it may be helpful to look at things a little differently.  First, it’s imperative…

Published in New England Automotive Report – Thomas Greco Publishing Gaps, misalignments, improper functioning…every collision repair professional recognizes the likelihood of encountering these challenges when dealing with aftermarket parts instead of OEM parts. Yet, collision repairers often find themselves being pressured to utilize these parts based on third-party payers’ insistence that they are of “like kind and quality.”  A simple Google search for “are aftermarket parts of like kind and quality” yields an AI overview response that reads: “No, aftermarket parts are not inherently of ‘like kind and quality’ as Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts; while some aftermarket parts are designed to meet OEM standards, many are not, and their…

Published in AASPMN News – Thomas Greco Publishing Not too long ago, it was extremely rare to see a woman working in a repair shop – mechanical or collision – but these days, more women are changing careers and lending their unique skill sets to the automotive industry. With backgrounds in a variety of fields, these ladies bring unique insights and perspectives to their businesses. Angela Wishard-Thomas co-owns Lancer Service (St. Paul) alongside her husband Carl, but before “stepping into the automotive world,” she enjoyed a sales career in the print and paper industry, helping corporations and marketing agencies with their marketing communications needs. “I absolutely loved working in that…

Published in New Jersey Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing Right to Appraisal empowers policyholders to dispute unfair insurance claim settlements following a car accident, but as an increasing number of New Jersey carriers remove or limit the Appraisal Clause offered in their policies, AASP/NJ has voiced its support of Senate Bill (SB) 4534, legislation proposed by Senator Paul Moriarty (D-District 4) that seeks to require all automotive insurance policies issued in the Garden State to include the Appraisal Clause, providing policyholders with the means for a fair appraisal and adequate indemnification. (Read the bill in its entirety at bit.ly/SB4534.) Last month, New Jersey Automotive discussed why it’s so important for policyholders to retain…

Published in New England Automotive Report – Thomas Greco Publishing Artificial intelligence (AI) seems to be everywhere these days. Call your credit card company to question a suspicious charge, and you’re likely to encounter an automated “customer service representative.” Or simply queue up Siri on your iPhone to initiate a search.  AI has also made its way into the automotive industry with many ADAS features – including lane assist, adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance and more – relying on this technology to analyze data from sensors and cameras to enhance vehicle safety and prevent accidents. Insurers have also embraced AI with an increasing use of chatbots and reliance on photo…

Published in New England Automotive Report – Thomas Greco Publishing Collision repair is a diverse industry that offers a multitude of career opportunities, and while one may typically think of those options as including roles within the shop – owner, estimator, technician, refinish, admin, etc. – a whole world of possibilities exists outside of those four walls with a plethora of positions that offer individuals to play to their strengths as a part of this fascinating field. For some, the journey begins in the shop. Mike Johnson (Crown Collision Solutions) is a 42-year collision industry veteran who worked in various roles as a body, paint and frame technician, an independent appraiser, shop…

Published in New Jersey Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing While it may come as no surprise to body shop owners who deal with insurance companies every day, many consumers may be shocked when their carrier offers a significantly lower settlement to cover the cost of repairs after an accident. Instead of fully indemnifying them for the amount of loss, insurers employ tactics designed to increase insurer profits at the expense of their policyholders.  Of course, in this situation, consumers can turn to small claims court to sue their insurer for the difference, but litigation is expensive, time-consuming and overwhelming. Fortunately, there’s a better way! Many auto insurance policies contain the…

Published in Hammer & Dolly – Thomas Greco Publishing Maintaining the health of your business is similar to nurturing your physical health; both require training, fueling it with the right supplies and managing stress. And when something seems out of whack, it just might be time to make a change. In last month’s Hammer & Dolly (available at grecopublishing.com/hd0725coverstory), several industry “doctors” prescribed repair planning as the right medicine for creating consistency and enhancing the customer experience, which results in improving profitability. An accurate repair plan allows shops to know exactly what to anticipate throughout the repair process, reducing administrative burden and preventing workflow interruptions. It is not surprising that shops focused on…

Published in New Jersey Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing Every day, the collision repair industry changes. Shops face a heavy load of challenges that come in many forms – from consolidation and workforce shortages to technological advances and contention with third-party payers. Yet, the need for vehicle repairs remains consistent, demanding shops keep up with the constant evolution of the industry to remain competitive and profitable. Those unwilling to put in the work to strengthen their businesses just might see their doors shuttered before long.  But what are the biggest changes and challenges facing the industry? And how can shops make sure they’re strong enough to carry the burden? New Jersey…

Published in Texas Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing ABAT’s Texas Auto Body Trade Show has grown exponentially since it began in 2016, and its success can largely be attributed to the association’s willingness to branch out and try something new. This has been the case each year, and 2025 is certainly no different! Taking place September 12-13 in its new location, at the Marriott Dallas Allen Hotel and Convention Center in Allen, the 2025 Texas Auto Body Trade Show promises to deliver the same high-energy education presentations that attendees have come to expect from the event, but as always (in true Texan fashion), it just keeps getting bigger and better…

Published in New Jersey Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing OEM procedures – jump! ADAS – jump! EVs – jump! Insurer estimates – jump (and try not to fall)! Change is the only constant in the ever-evolving auto body industry, and it seems like clearing one hurdle only brings you closer to the next one on the path. As you spring over each one, the likelihood of stumbling and falling may seem like an inevitability, but shops determined to go the distance recognize the best way to overcome those obstacles is to “pole vault” over the barriers keeping them from moving forward. Association membership provides collision professionals with the right equipment…

Published in New England Automotive Report – Thomas Greco Publishing For nearly half a decade, body shops have been juggling more work than they could handle, and then suddenly – BOOM! Things shifted; volume has been decreasing in repair facilities across the country since last year.  “Not since the pandemic year of 2020 have so many US shops reported six-month sales and net profit being below the same period a year earlier,” Crash Network reported in April, citing its recent “Collision Industry Business Perspectives” survey. “Nearly half (46 percent) said their sales and net profit in the second half [of] 2024 were down from what they were in the second half of…

Published in New Jersey Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing Running a collision repair shop is a tough gig – between contending with customers’ expectations, insurers’ demands and rising costs of, well, everything, many owners report struggles to turn a profit. Yet, for over a decade, consolidation has been ballooning forth in markets from coast to coast! How did the MSO boom begin, and are there any indications of implosion? Repairers first noticed an increase in consolidation in the late 1990s and early 2000s when Caliber, Gerber and Service King entered the market in California and Texas, purchasing independent shops and converting them to their brands. But beginning in 2013, more…

Published in New England Automotive Report – Thomas Greco Publishing Running a collision repair shop is a tough gig – between contending with customers’ expectations, insurers’ demands and rising costs of, well, everything, many owners report struggles to turn a profit. Yet, for over a decade, consolidation has been ballooning forth in markets from coast to coast! How did the MSO boom begin, and are there any indications of implosion? Repairers first noticed an increase in consolidation in the late 1990s and early 2000s when Caliber, Gerber and Service King entered the market in California and Texas, purchasing independent shops and converting them to their brands. But beginning in 2013, more…

Published in AASPMN News – Thomas Greco Publishing Once upon a time, vehicles entered a repair shop – mechanical or collision – and could be repaired based upon the repairers’ knowledge and experience. Those days are long gone! With vehicles growing increasingly complex due to the use of new materials, inclusion of ADAS and telematics, not to mention the challenges related to electric vehicles (EVs), researching the OEM repair procedures for every job has become a necessity, even when the repair order calls for something as simple as replacing a bumper or a wheel alignment, either of which may require calibrations. Even if a shop performed the exact same repair on the…

Published in New England Automotive Report – Thomas Greco Publishing Last month, New England Automotive Report explored the ineffectiveness of the Auto Damage Appraiser Licensing Board’s (ADALB) actions regarding its never-ending review of proposed revisions to 212 CMR 2.00 et seq (available to read online at grecopublishing.com/near0325coverstory). But are those regulations even enforced? Anyone who has witnessed their handling of complaints in recent years has certainly asked this question, and it seems to be a topic worth exploring more closely. Disorder. Mayhem. Hullabaloo. These are all synonyms for madhouse, which Websters defines as “a place of uproar or confusion.” Thus, the term madhouse certainly seems to apply to meetings of the Auto Damage…

Published in Texas Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing ADAS features have become pretty standard on most vehicles; in fact, around 95 percent of light duty vehicles manufactured in 2023 came equipped with automatic emergency braking, according to CCC Intelligent Solutions’ 2024 Q1 Crash Course Report (bit.ly/CCC-CC2024q1). These days, around 70 percent of vehicles being brought to a body shop require at least one calibration, but there’s a lot of debate about whether it makes more sense to sublet this task or to bring calibrations in-house. Simple answer: there isn’t one! It all depends on your business model and what makes sense for each shop.  “Calibrations are an absolutely integral part…

Published in AASPMN News – Thomas Greco Publishing Running a successful automotive repair business is similar to playing a game in that respect – only whether you win or lose ultimately comes down to whether or not the shop is successful, and the best way to “keep score” requires monitoring and tracking certain key performance indicators (KPIs). But with so many moving parts, how does a shop owner or manager know which KPIs are most important? Last month, AASPMN News explored this subject on behalf of collision repair facilities (available at grecopublishing.com/aasp0325coverstory), but while mechanical shops share some of the same KPIs, they typically need to look at things a little differently. Jeff…

Published in New Jersey Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing “I can’t find help for my shop.” “No one wants to be a technician anymore.” “Kids these days just aren’t interested in collision repair.” Nearly every shop owner in New Jersey and across the country shares the same complaint, but it just may be time to recognize the issue doesn’t lie with the next generation – shops are largely to blame for this ongoing problem! Although the number of collision repair educational programs have dwindled in recent years, the remainder report high interest in collision technology; however, instructors often fail to get the support they need from the industry to keep students engaged…

Published in New England Automotive Report – Thomas Greco Publishing It’s commonly said that “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” but how crazy is it to repeat the same actions and yield NO results? Yet, that’s exactly what happens at the Auto Damage Appraiser Licensing Board (ADALB) meetings time and time again! Seated under the Division of Insurance (DOI), the ADALB is charged with the regulation of motor vehicle damage appraisers in the Commonwealth. Although the Board is charged with a laundry list of duties, the bulk of its agenda in recent years seems to be consumed with two specific responsibilities: maintaining…

Published in Texas Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing Getting in a car crash tends to be a traumatic experience for any driver, but when their insurance carrier – the entity sworn to make them whole after an accident – adds insult to injury by under-indemnifying them for the claim, many vehicle owners find themselves shivering with apprehension as to how they’re going to get their car repaired or afford a replacement. But then a ray of light appears amidst the clouds for those who learn that they have the ability to contest value through their policy’s Appraisal Clause without being forced to pursue costly litigation.  Unfortunately, few consumers realize they…

Published in AASPMN News – Thomas Greco Publishing How do you measure success in your shop? Some owners define success simply by looking at the dollars they have in the bank, while others take a more holistic approach of measuring a variety of key performance indicators (KPIs); however, with the many changes that shops have been forced to make in recent years – due to the pandemic, technological advances, the lengthening average age of the vehicles and changes in consumer behavior – it’s easy to fall into a pattern of collecting a ton of data and never doing anything with it. Those numbers mean something, but if your shop’s KPIs have become…

Published in Texas Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing Your car is mangled, and your body aches…You just got into a minor car accident, but the initial damage may not be the most painful part of this experience! For many vehicle owners who’ve been in an accident, the real agony occurs at the hands of their insurance carriers – the entity contracted to indemnify them for their loss – due to tactics designed to increase insurer profits at the expense of their policyholders. Whether the vehicle is repairable or deemed a total loss, there’s an incredibly high likelihood of receiving a settlement offer that does not truly cover the cost of…

Published in AASPMN News – Thomas Greco Publishing Artificial intelligence (AI) is often viewed as a future technology, yet AI already plays many important roles in the automotive industry. Some ADAS, such as crash avoidance systems and lane assist cameras, utilize predictive AI algorithms to enhance safety on the roadways. Vehicle manufacturers have implemented AI in the design, development and assembly of today’s vehicles. Insurers rely on AI for photo estimating and total loss triage.  And AI technology also offers opportunities for automotive and collision repair shops to improve their businesses. Who doesn’t want to work smarter, rather than harder? Shrewd shop owners around the country have begun embracing AI…

Published in Hammer & Dolly – Thomas Greco Publishing “Without risk, there is no reward” – perhaps this well-known and often-repeated saying helped you find the courage to pursue your dreams of a career in the collision repair industry or even open your own shop. But while some risks are worth taking, others simply expose your business to liability and endanger your livelihood. Between technological advancements in today’s constantly changing vehicles, environmental requirements and workplace safety concerns, it’s necessary to recognize the various accountabilities that fall on shops and identify methods to circumvent those potential liabilities to protect the business.  As Warren Buffett said, “Risk comes from not knowing what…

Published in New Jersey Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing Imagine: A wife goes to the store and purchases a gallon of milk. She pays the bill and goes home, but weeks later, her husband – who never does the grocery shopping and has no clue what amount is reasonable to pay – writes to the store to demand a partial refund and insists his wife overpaid. Seems pretty ridiculous, doesn’t it? Yet, the absurdity of a similar situation is less laughable. For the past several years, shops across the country have been receiving communications from the Wilber Group, demanding partial reimbursement for invoices paid to those repair facilities by insurers…

Published in AASP-MN News – Thomas Greco Publishing Change is inevitable, and 2024 was a year of many changes for Minnesota automotive and collision repairers. From technological advancements and differing hiring practices that impact individual shops to the AASPMN’s decision to hire a new legal team and the dissolution of the national AASP organization, things look a lot different than they did a year ago. However, amidst the many transformations in the automotive landscape, one thing remains constant: AASPMN persists in its efforts to champion shops and pave the way forward to advance and improve the industry in the North Star State. As AASPMN builds on last year’s momentum to…

Published in Texas Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing With 2025 underway, businesses around the country are examining their budgets and determining which investments to undertake. To deal with ongoing challenges related to advancing technology, Texas collision repair shops likely plan to allocate funding to a number of important business needs, such as tooling, equipment, training, certifications, employee benefits and so forth.  But what about the challenges related to shops’ continuous struggles with insurance companies – how can repairers budget for ways to address confrontations with appraisers who under-indemnify claims or refuse to pay for the parts and procedures necessary to safely and properly repair customers’ vehicles? By joining ABAT and…

Published in Texas Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing Quality and safety are undoubtedly the most important aspects of performing a proper collision repair, but for a shop to convince customers that they will take care of their vehicle the right way, it begins by building trust.  San Antonio Collision Center (San Antonio) assures customers of their trustworthiness by striving to exceed expectations from the beginning of the process. They understand that accidents are stressful for their clientele, so they focus on providing a courteous and honest environment where vehicle owners can rely on qualified technicians to restore each car to its pre-accident condition. Although San Antonio Collision Center was founded…

Published in New England Automotive Report – Thomas Greco Publishing Up and up and UP!  From east to west and north to south, drivers all over the country have seen significant increases in their auto insurance policies. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index (CPI), the cost of motor vehicle insurance in the first half of this year rose by nearly 21 percent compared to the first half of 2023, an annual trend that has intensified since the pandemic. The average cost of premiums in the first half of 2019 saw an increase of just 1.6 percent compared to the previous year, yet from the first…

Published in AASP-MN News – Thomas Greco Publishing Good employees are hard to find and expensive to keep…but replacing them can also be costly in more ways than the financial aspect, since you never know exactly who you’re getting until you’ve already hired them.  Once you’ve built a successful team, it is imperative that you keep them. Yet, employee retention is one of the industry’s largest struggles these days, as owners contend with other fields seeking to “steal” valuable workers. To compete with these entities, shop owners must find ways to keep employees engaged and motivated in their jobs, an effort that largely relates to the culture that has been developed in…

Published in Texas Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing A machine is defined as “an apparatus using or applying mechanical power and having several parts, each with a definite function and together performing a particular task.” Machines work by accepting an input, transforming or modifying it in some way and then releasing the output of its efforts.  Most discussions and examples of a “machine” will include references to automobiles, a vital piece of the collision repair industry, yet there’s an even more important machine that plays a role in this field: the shop itself! Each repair facility (apparatus) requires several parts (employees) to use or apply their power to function together…

Published in New Jersey Automotive – Thomas Greco Publishing One bright afternoon in August, Ashley*, a 19-year-old college student, drove down the Parkway on her way home from a shopping expedition with her mother, who was a passenger in her car. When the traffic in front of her slowed down, Ashley slowly engaged her brakes – but the person behind her did not. CRASH! Pulling to the side of the road, Ashley exchanged information with the other driver, but when she attempted to file a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company, she learned that they had not paid their insurance bill and their card was invalid; they were uninsured. …

Published in AASP-MN News – Thomas Greco Publishing Last month, AASP-MN News shared how two schools’ automotive technology programs are thinking outside the box to address the challenges they face in providing students with the tools and knowledge they need to become successful shop employees after graduation, but with today’s technology advancing faster all the time, several enlightened educators have seen the opportunity to take things a step further by creating new initiatives that specifically target some of the industry’s changing demands.  These schools have taken the initiative to offer unique courses that address shops’ developing needs. Two years ago, Minnesota State Community and Technical College (Moorhead) received a $349,652 grant from…

Published in New England Automotive Report – Thomas Greco Publishing It’s no secret that the majority of new vehicles being sold today include ADAS. In fact, around 95 percent of light duty vehicles manufactured in 2023 came equipped with automatic emergency braking, according to CCC Intelligent Solutions’ 2024 Q1 Crash Course Report (available at cccis.com/reports/crash-course-2024/q1) – and experts anticipate that number will continue rising as consumers increasingly rely on these types of safety systems.  With cars being produced with a growing number of electronic components, it’s no wonder that the majority of repairs necessitate calibrations to maintain those components’ functionality following an accident, though the frequency of shops performing calibrations does…